THEY were Lion Hearts from one to 15 but, by the final second of one of the most compelling games in rugby history, ours were broken.

For the previous 80 minutes, they had raced in our chests as we witnessed a pulsating contest that brought the Lions within touching distance of keeping the series alive.

The ground heaved with red shirts and resounded with accents giving voice to the Lions chant from every corner of Britain and Ireland.

Behind us four Englishmen had a message for Sky’s ebullient commentator Stuart: “Shut Up Barnes” joked the slogan on their T-shirts.

In the aisle, a giant leprechaun danced a pre-match jig.

The Boys from Abercarn hoisted their flags, Newport’s Brian Davies and Paul Hiscott sported daffodil bonnets while Dave Williams in full dragon costume carried the “Smash the Boks” banner for Trimsaran.

Ex-Ammanford teachers Peter Thomas and Roger Phillips took their seats hoping their former star pupil Shane Williams could make an impact from the bench.

Hand in hand, a frail elderly husband and wife made their way gingerly to their seats, friendly arms helping them on their way.

“They’re the oldest people on our tour,” explained the couple from Limerick next to us, “they’re almost 90.”

On the pitch, one of the youngest Lions fans was making his entrance – Gerald Davies’ seven-year-old grandson Thomas, on proud mascot duty.

We were watching from the corner of Loftus Versfeld’s Eastern Stand, almost blinded by Pretoria’s winter sunlight. But we were even more dazzled by the way the Lions set out their stall from the whistle, their explosive start a complete reversal of last week’s hesitancy.

South Africa, however, began with an act of madness from their hulking blond flanker Schalk Burger, who celebrated his 50th cap by almost sticking his finger in the eye of Luke Fitzgerald.

“Let’s hope Burger gets his chips,” I told the Munster fans next to us.

The referee obliged with a yellow card, though a red would have been more just.

The Lions clocked up a point for every minute the Springbok talisman was off the field, courtesy of Stephen Jones’s boot and a thunderous try from Rob Kearney.

The Lions would never resort to the dangerous stupidity of Burger’s opening salvo but the ferocity of their commitment felt like a metaphorical one in the eye for every arrogant South African journo who had predicted the Boks would smash the visitors.

And if there was a moment that symbolised the sharpness of the Lions’ claws, it was the first scrum in the 17th minute. As the Boks prepared to lock necks with an all-Welsh front row, the mantra of “Beast, Beast, Beast” spread through the home fans, in homage to their monster prop Tendai Mtawarira. Yet, for the Lions, the weakness of the first test would become the strength of the second. Adam Jones made his thrust, South Africa popped up and the defending Lions were rewarded with a penalty.

Beware the beauty of the Hair Bear, Beast. Abercrave’s mop- topped cult hero had got the Boks by the short and curlies.

It was a performance that had a more vintage prop purring at half time. Graham Price, who himself had tasted victory at Loftus Versfeld in the final Lions test of 1980, was in confident mood, as he stopped for a chat and got besieged by autograph hunters.

The rest of us were daring to dream, too. The giant Lions shirt unfurled at every game was hoisted over our heads and on the field, every player seemed to be growing in their red jersey.

Ian McGeechan had never lost a second Lions test as a player or a coach – his record could be safe in another 40 minutes.

As a clearly-rattled South Africa squandered two penalty attempts and the Lions extended their lead to 19-8, our delirious giant Leprechaun launched into a routine that would have river-danced Michael Flatley off the stage.

But, within minutes of the second half, the hard ground of Loftus had started to resemble a battlefield of red-shirted casualties. A single brutal passage of play saw our props heading for the touchline, Gethin clutching a bloodied cloth to his broken cheekbone, Adam holding a dislocated shoulder. The uncontested scrums that followed took away a vital weapon from the Lions armoury.

And then the backline started to be wounded in action, Brian O’Driscoll finally succumbing to the battering he had endured all game and Jamie Roberts injuring his wrist.

The centres of excellence were gone, forcing a positional re-shuffling that disjointed the Lions’ rhythm.

Galvanised by Bryan Habana’s sparkling score in the 63rd minute, the Boks took full advantage of the disruption in the red army’s ranks.

The TMO would hurt the Lions further, judging Fourie’s try in field, while the rest of us screamed “he’s in touch!”.

A high tackle on Stephen Jones offered the chance to square the scores with two minutes remaining. A draw would be enough to secure a third test decider. Our nerves were in bits – and Stephen’s knee looked barely in one piece. How would he ever kick this most crucial penalty with a hobbling run-up?

But like a soldier hurling himself over the top of one last trench, Stephen took a perfect shot and hit the target. I turned to the Bok fans and roared a defiant retort.

Yet with 15 seconds left on the clock, they would have the last word. Eschewing touch for a reckless up and under, Ronan O’Gara pursued his kick and careered into the airborne figure of Fourie du Preez.

“Oh Ronan, no!” groaned the Munster fans beside me, before burying their heads in their hands.

Ronan looked as if he was about to cry. He wasn’t the only one – tears were welling up in Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh eyes.

Morne Steyne’s 53.7 metre kick curved over the bar and was welcomed by the wail of the full-time siren and the anguish of every Lions fan in Pretoria.

The words of Springbok captain John Smit boomed around the stands: “We left it to the last minute to win, but we’ll enjoy it for the next 12 years.”

The Lions had failed to keep the dream of a series win alive but in the cruellest of defeats they preserved the unique spirit of the team that brings four nations together.

No-one who has been here to witness two tests against the world champions that went thrillingly to the wire will question the concept of the Lions.

They certainly have a future. Their immediate future is to deny the Springboks a series whitewash next Saturday.